Superfood Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

I love autumn and pumpkin season. I wanted a recipe to bring all those holiday flavors into a drink without all the sugar, artificial ingredients and hefty price tag you’d find at a coffee shop. This whips up quick and is the perfect use for that little bit of left over pumpkin you never know what to do with after you bake muffins.

Ingredients:

1/2 C pumpkin puree

1 C ice or 1 C frozen chopped spinach

1 banana (can be frozen) or 2 pitted dates

1/4 C raw cashews (soak overnight if you have a regular blender, not necessary if you have a vitamix or similar powerhouse) or raw pepitas/shelled pumpkin seeds

1 C almond milk

1 Tbsp. maple syrup

1/4 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp. ground ginger

pinch of ground nutmeg

pinch of ground cloves

1 tsp. chia seeds

1 tsp. raw cacao powder

1/2 tsp. maca powder

Method:

Place all ingredients in the blender with the ice (or spinach), nuts and banana (or dates) in the bottom. Blend on a lower speed until the ice and/or dates break up. Then, increase the speed to high and let run until smooth. Makes about 3 cups.